Printing plate supporting means in bed and cylinder printing machines



Dec. 3, 1968 A. F. WIKE PRINTING PLATE SUPPORTING MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1966 ATTORNEK Filed. April 13, 1956 Dec. 3, 1968 3,413,922

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A 4 hVVFA/TO'? Arm/WW) United States Patent 0 3,413,922 PRINTING PLATE SUPPORTING MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER PRINTING MACHINES Albert F. Wike, South Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 542,716 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-269) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A printing machine having a long bed is provided with retaining pins to hold printing members at any of a series of positions across the bed. A form which has a plurality of print-receiving areas on its face, is shiftable along the bed into one of a plurality of print receiving positions established by gauges. The bed length, the width of the printing members, and the distance between print receiving members, are all related in even multiples for interplay of printing members and form to provide for gathering time related information on a single form.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to data gathering systems for encoding documents such as tabulating cards used in data processing business systems, and relates more specifically to source data gathering machines for printing from a plurality of possible card-source printing members, located in a plurality of possible relative positions, and each combination of source members related to a set of variable data printing wheels.

Computers and other business machines which are employed for a multiplicity of purposes, such as payroll computation, production control, order writing, billing, material control, and other similar and well-known application, employ data which is gathered as the facts are created. Modern business machines are essential to efficient business, but are useless without accurate and useful source data.

The creation of source data by unskilled and untrained personnel is a point of vulnerability in any data processing system, unless the gathering can be done in such a manner that a minimum of attention and skill is required.

Furthermore, practically all automatic data processing systems, both those which are punch-card oriented as well as those utilizing electronic computers, are employed on many different applications within the business, industry or institution using them. Very seldom is this type of equipment employed on a single use basis.

Consequently, Within any given business, a number of different source data gathering requirements exit. A standardized method of capturing source data for ultimate computer input is desirable, because if specialized equipment is required for each type of data gathering, then the source gathering by reliable machine becomes financially impractical, and reliance is required upon untrained individuals. This invention provides a solution to that dilemma by the provision of the highly flexible nature of the present invention.

The universal data gathering machine of this invention makes possible the printing of data from a plurality of separate plastic printing members embossed with informa- Patented Dec. 3, 1968 tion, plus variable data set up by a panel controlled set of variable printing wheels. After this arrangement is established, a single printing act places all of the variable data into a unit tabulating card.

This invention employs a system which may be defined as a data cell principle. In this principle, a printing platform for an encoding machine is divided into a plurality of separate units for holding unit size embossed printing members upon the anvil bed of the encoder. Thus, the input to the unit tabulating card may be built up from a plurality of such individual cells and the variable information established by the wheels. A data cell represents a unit of information consisting of one or more characters, or a group of related information units. In the true data cell concept, data in each cell may be information stored on embossed plastic printing members, usually with bar code as well as human readable information, or it may be new, variable information set up in a bank of character bearing wheels. All of one type, or a combination of the two types is contemplated for use along the anvil bed.

Each data cell represents an information building block used to construct a complete source-data document. In many source data gathering programs, several different kinds of information which originate from different sources must be combined in a single transaction document.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a data gathering machine which will accept and hold a plurality of source data printing devices in a useful relationship for printing a form in tabular relationship. The reference to a form relates to any card or form set upon which it is desired to imprint information in proper relationship, whether that form is to be employed in mechanized machine reading or employed manually for record keeping.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a data gathering machine employing a printing platform anvil bed with retaining means establishing print position areas along the platform so that in effect the platform is divided into a plurality of data cells, some of which may be variable data printing wheels.

It is a further object of this invention to provide data cell printing member locating devices to hold source data embossed members against lateral shifting upon the bed of an anvil. This object relates to the fact that one form may be reinserted into the data gathering machine from time to time for imprinting additional information as the information facts progress.

A related object is the provision of a printing platform bed having a headboard extending along the entire length, to thereby establish a reference from which data on printing members may locate, and thereby assure alignment of data printed onto a form at non-contiguous times.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide means for shifting the printing location of a form in order to imprint information in proper relationship. According to this object, not only is the form shiftable to use a particular data cell in side-by-side relationship, but data cell space on the form may be divided and parallel information placed in both halves of one data cell space.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the best mode contemplated for the present invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention FIGURE 1 of the drawings is a view in perspective of a data gathering and encoding device embodying the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the novel data source card holder and variable data printing wheels, with embossed data printing members in position to illustrate a possible operational condition.

FIGURE 3 is an illustration of a form document printed from the combination of the embossed printing members and variable data printing wheels.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the view of FIGURE 2 with the printing members replaced with other source data embossed members and a new wheel setting.

FIGURE 5 is an illustration of a form like that of FIGURE 3 showing how the further information would look if printed thereon from the member and wheel establishment of FIGURE 4 alone without previous printing on the card.

FIGURE 6 is a schematic section taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 4 illustrating location establishing pins, and yieldable holding clips to determine proper alignment of the embossed data source cards.

FIGURE 7 is the section of FIGURE 6 with a modified anvil surface.

FIGURE 8 is an illustration of the form of FIGURE 3 with the information of FIGURES 4 and 5 printed in the proper related spaces as in actual practice.

Referring to the drawings, a printing machine of the preferred embodiment is constructed on a base cabinet 10 having a printing platform 12, which platform is sometimes referred to as an anvil. A platen head 14 carries a platen 16. Head 14 is pivotally mounted to the base 10 in order to hold the platen 16 spaced from the printing platform during loading of the platform, and to move the platen into printing engagement at the proper time.

The available printing area across the printing platform 12 is arbitrarily divided into a plurality of individual printing position areas of equal length. Preferably the areas are contiguous.

The principle upon which this invention is based is that of using individual embossed printing members 18, or modifications 18 and 18a, which carry standard information related to information on other similar printing members, and to areas of a form 17. This is referred to as a data-cell principle. Each of the printing members is dimensioned in a fixed regular relationship to one another and to the form 17 in order that the individual printing members may be moved about as desired without disturbing the relationship of other members in a series.

By fixed regular relationship is meant a relationship such that there are a linear series of generally contiguous unit areas on the platform which are substantially equal in dimension along the length of the series so arranged that printing members, each of this dimension, may be placed in a row with one-for-one correspondence with the areas, or so that printing members having a series-length dimension which is an exact multiple of the area dimension can be introduced into such a series to occupy more than one such platform area as desired. This includes, of course, the concept that some of the printing members occupying unit areas may carry information on a portion only of their area measured along the series.

The printing members 18 are positioned in the correct modular relationship by divider means in the form of a plurality of equally spaced guide pins 20', best seen in FIGURE 6. Pins 20 extend along the top margin of the printing platform anvil 12 and project through the platform to a height slightly above the plane of the printing platform. A spring 21 urges the pins 20 to an elevated position, and the pins are retractable against the urge of the spring 21. A spring hook 22 located at each station,

and an opposed positioned finger recess 23, further define the printing device station. The recesses 23 are formed in a guide rail 27 hereinafter described.

Generally the members 18 will not be of a length normally associated with the length of a personal credit card, but two or more modular units may be contained in one unitary piece, as shown by member 18a in FIG- URE 2. Member 18a is two modules in length, and bridges over one of the guide pins 20. Therefore, the particular guide pin will yield against the urge of the spring 21, and permit the member 18a to lie flat across two areas. The member will be guided by the two spring hooks 22 of the two adjacent stations. Otherwise, the member 18a may be notched to avoid contact with the pin, although this alternate is not shown.

This invention provides considerable flexibility in operation, and one example of its flexible operation is its ability to identify a before-and-after situation. In FIG- URE 2, a member 18 and a double member 18a are shown in printing position upon the printing platform 12. These two members give fixed information about a particular situation. These two bits of information bear a relationship to one another, and they may bear relationship to other similar bits of information on other similar printing members. Nevertheless, they do not change from hour to hour or day to day, but

generally the information they contain remains fixed for a long period of time.

Then, in addition to the fixed information which bears a relationship to one another on the printing members 18 and 18a, this invention makes use of the known variable input technique to occupy a modular cell unit space in alignment with the anvil printing platform 12. This combination provides means to collect together the data from the printing members in their proper relationship, and to supplement that information with variable inforrnation which may relate to time or some other variable ata.

To accomplish this versatility, a variable data pack in the form of a bank of wheels 24 is placed in a modular space at the end of the platform 12. The width of the seven wheel pack shown in this space is substantially identical to the length of the individual modular stations along the balance of the platform 12. The variable data pack has printing surface means shiftable in any combination to provide variable data input, and is positioned to print along with the printing members 18 which are placed in the various stations. Although other types of variable pritnting devices may be employed, printing wheels are a tested and known means of presenting both alpha-numeric and bar code data around the periphery of the wheels, and mechanism within the base cabinet 10 which is old and well-known and, therefore, not illustrated, permits positioning of the bank 24 by means of a control panel 25.

Further flexibility is accomplished in this invention by the use of form gauge 26. Gauge 26 has a first stop 28 against which the form 17 is placed for a first impression, in an example of two-impression use of this invention. Thus, FIGURE 3 shows the form 17 bearing replica data of printing member 18 in a column A. Note that the modular column A is divided into two sections A and A. Member 18 in FIGURE 2 is embossed only on the left side, and hence only the half area of modular section A is printed in the FIGURE 3. The printing member 18a in FIGURE 2 is not filled with embossed data, but the data necessary occupies one full modular area. More information may be used in this area according to the particular application to which the invention is placed.

A useful feature of the machine portion of this invention is in the provision of the guide rail or gauge 27 (see FIGURE 6) which extends the length of the printing platform. Rail 27 establishes a fixed abutment, and the spring hooks 22 will press each member 18 tightly to this reference surface. Thus, various members may be assembled, but the resultant printing will been one line, The rail 27 also serves to position the form 17 since it is spaced the proper distance from a ridge 31 to just receive and hold between the two a tabulating card of the width dimension adopteda After an operation has expired to which the FIGURE 3 imprint was made, the form is returned to the printing platform, and other fixed information numbers are placed upon the anvil to print in areas not previously printed. Although this can be accomplished without any shift of position of the form 17 with respect to the gauge 26, this invention provides a unique and desirable variation device in that the gauge 26 has a second stop 29 which permits a modular unit shifting of the form 17 for the second impression. The machine is adaptable to extend the shifting of form 17 to further units or part units as the need of the operation may dictate.

In FIGURE 4 a printing member 18' has been placed in the second area and a printing member 18b occupies the two areas formerly occupied by printing member 18a. However, by placing the form 17 against the second stop 29, the printing from the member 180 is moved one modular unit to the right, and therefore places the prior printed data to the right of the position occupied by the member 18b in FIGURE 4. Member 18b in the illustrated example represents an employee identification card.

Further, the shifting of the form 17 to the second stop 29 moves the first modular area .of the form into the second area of the printing platform anvil 12. However, the member 18 in FIGURE 2 is embossed on the left side only, whereas the member 18' is embossed on the right side only. Hence, the second half of the first printed module on form 17, which is indicated as column A in FIGURE 3, is placed over the embossed data in the member 18, and hence produces the printing in column A shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 5 is a new card printed only from the source data printing members 18' and 18b shown in FIGURE 4. In actual practice no such separate printing is contemplated. The invention is based upon the premise of related information printed into one card 17 and the actual form condition is shown in FIGURE 8. However, the separate illustration in FIGURE 5 will aid in visualizing the shift in printing position brought about as the result of the combined shifting of form and printing members.

At the time of shifting of form 17, the variable data formerly contained in the wheel bank 24 is changed as required. The FIGURE 2 change to the FIGURE 4 condition is an illustration. The modular shifting places the form 17 to receive encoding from this same wheel bank at a lateral position as shown in the FIGURE 5. Hence, when the printed form 17 is employed in a business machine to read-out the information, the business machine senses the variable code data in proper related order.

A left hand stop 30 and the edge ridge 31 are employed to assist in holding proper printing relationship of the form 17 upon the platform 12. The form edge is held against the same guide rail 27 as the members 18, and hence the guide rail serves as a common reference for alignment of the printing members and the imprinted member.

Further, in some instances, a high-friction coating 33, as shown in FIGURE 7, aids in holding the printing members in proper station position against the force of platen 16, and may be used either alone or in cooperation with pins 20.

Whereas the present invention has been shown and described herein in what is conceived to be the best mode contemplated, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope ofthe invention which is, therefore, not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be afforded the full scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system for printing information from at 6' least one printing member and at a plurality of separate time intervals upon a single form, comprising:

a printing member having an embossed area and having a predetermined width dimension;

a printing machine having a printing platform, said platform having a longitudinal dimension which contains a whole number multiple of said printing member width dimension;

retaining means for said printing member establishing print position areas along said platform in which one said printing member may reside and for retaining a printing member placed on said platform in one selected area;

a form having a print receiving area at least equal in length to said longitudinal dimension of said printing platform;

form gauge means for adjustably positioning a form over said platform in a plurality of print receiving positions for said form with respect to said platform, each position being a distance from the other which is equal to said embossed area width dimension; and

platen means to press said form and printing member together for printing impression.

whereby printing impressions may be made on said form in different print receiving areas corresponding to the print area along the platform in which the printing member is positioned and corresponding to the print position in which the form has been retained by said gauge means.

2. In a printing system as defined in claim 1, said printing machine further characterized in that:

at least one print position area of said printing platform composed of a plurality of printing wheels, each wheel having a plurality of data characters around the periphery thereof, said platform areas adapted to support embossed printing members in a printing plane, and said characters shiftable into said printing plane.

3. In a printing system as defined in claim 1, said printing machine further characterized in the provision of a guide rail parallel to said platform, and spring hook members on the opposite side of said platform spaced along said platform at each area, for yieldably urging each printing member against said guide rail as a common reference.

4. A printing system for printing information from at least one printing member and at a plurality of separate time intervals upon a single form, comprising:

a printing member having an embossed area and having a predetermined width dimension;

a printing machine having a printing platform, said platform having a longitudinal dimension which contains a whole number multiple of said printing member width dimension;

retaining means for said printing member establishing print position areas along said platform in which one said printing member may reside .and for retaining a printing member placed on said platform in one selected area;

a plurality of print wheels aligned with said platform,

in an area of dimension equal to the area of the platform, each wheel having a plurality of data characters around the periphery thereof, said paltform areas adapted to support embossed printing members in a printing plane, and said characters shiftable into said printing plane;

a roller platen movable lengthwise of the platform and print wheels to make printing impresisons from printing members thereon and said wheels; and

form gauge means for positioning a form in one or another of plural print receiving positions for said form with respect to said platform, each position being a distance from the other which is equal to said equal dimension of print position areas,

whereby printing impressions may be made on said form in different print receiving areas corresponding 7 to the print area along the platform in which the printing member is positioned and corresponding to the print position in which the form has been adjustably retained by said gauge means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Williams 101274 X Davidson 101274 Hill 101274 Adler 101407 Maul 10145 Bell et al. 101269 Johnson 10156 Maul et al 101269 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. 

